Grid Modernization News

Mar 5, 2019, 17:00 by User Not Found

Building owners and energy managers looking to evaluate renewable energy and storage economics for their site can use REopt™ Lite's custom utility rate tariff capabilities and an integrated critical load profile builder—new features that allow a more detailed energy analysis without leaving the tool.

Feb 27, 2019, 17:00 by User Not Found

The U.S. Department of Energy recently launched the Lithium-Ion Battery Recycling Prize, with NREL as prize administrator. The $5.5-million phased prize competition is designed to incentivize American innovators and businesses to develop and demonstrate processes that, when scaled, have the potential to profitably capture 90% of all discarded or spent lithium-ion batteries in the United States.

Feb 26, 2019, 17:00 by User Not Found

The NREL team chemically combined reclaimed polyethylene terephthalate plastic, in the form of single-use beverage bottles, with bio-based compounds to produce higher-value fiber-reinforced plastics that can be used in products from snowboards to vehicle parts to wind turbines.

Feb 25, 2019, 17:00 by User Not Found

Urban planners have not historically dealt in energy issues, yet clean energy is a growing focus around the world and urban planners' role in energy transitions is evolving as demand increases.

Feb 24, 2019, 17:00 by User Not Found

The 12th Beyond Lithium Ion Symposium will focus on scalable energy storage beyond the current state-of-the-art for transportation and grid applications.

Feb 24, 2019, 17:00 by User Not Found

Annabelle Pratt is a principal engineer for the Power Systems Engineering Center at NREL. Pratt specializes in microgrid and home energy management systems (HEMS), and her work has included the evaluation of microgrid controllers and advanced distribution management systems (ADMS). We sat down with Pratt to learn more about her work and the newest research in these areas.

Feb 24, 2019, 17:00 by User Not Found

The 30 companies were selected after a competitive application and review process from more than 150 applicants.

Feb 24, 2019, 17:00 by User Not Found

On May 8, investors, start-up companies, and industry leaders from around the world will convene in Denver, Colo., for the third Emerging Markets Day, a forum to discuss the most promising cleantech solutions to the pressing energy challenges faced by emerging economies.

Feb 24, 2019, 17:00 by Wayne Hicks

NREL achieves the world's most accurate method to measure PV performance, with an uncertainty rate of only 1.1%.

Feb 19, 2019, 17:00 by User Not Found

A new report examines novel approaches to microgrid financing and deployment in sub-Saharan Africa, where about 600 million people live without electricity.

Feb 18, 2019, 17:00 by User Not Found

Driving down costs for algae-based biofuels and bioproducts involves enhancing algae productivity through selection of the most promising algae strains and implementation of effective cultivation strategies. To support this effort, NREL and its national laboratory partners formed a consortium project called Development of Integrated Screening, Cultivar Optimization, and Verification (DISCOVR).

Feb 18, 2019, 17:00 by User Not Found

The findings reveal gallium oxide wafers could be three to five times cheaper to manufacture than another related technology, silicon carbide.

Feb 13, 2019, 17:00 by User Not Found

NREL is participating in a project led by Oak Ridge National Lab to create a large-scale, real-time “digital twin” of traffic conditions in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

Feb 13, 2019, 17:00 by User Not Found

When industry, government laboratories, and universities work together, creative solutions can arise to environmental challenges. The latest example of this originated when NREL partnered with BHP--a global mining, metals, and petroleum company--to research sustainable ways to clean up legacy mining impacts and develop feedstocks for biofuels.

Feb 12, 2019, 17:00 by User Not Found

On January 9, a group of 20 undergraduate students from around the country participated in a mini-hackathon that melded their ingenuity and the lessons learned in the classroom.

Feb 10, 2019, 17:00 by User Not Found

A partnership between the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and the wind solutions company WindESCo, funded through the U.S. Department of Energy's Small Business Voucher Project, aims to improve wind plant performance by applying solutions that facilitate communication among turbines.

Feb 10, 2019, 17:00 by User Not Found

Dr. Achilles Karagiozis joins the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) as the new director of the Buildings and Thermal Sciences Center on Feb. 19.

Feb 4, 2019, 17:00 by Jane Hess

Through its Energy Execs program, NREL invites leaders from across the country to learn about advanced energy research.

Feb 3, 2019, 17:00 by User Not Found

In this DOE Fuel Cell Technologies Office webinar, researchers from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory will discuss the HydroGEN Advanced Water Splitting Materials (AWSM) consortium's extensive materials research capabilities to address R&D challenges in efficiency, durability, and cost.

Jan 30, 2019, 17:00 by User Not Found

Download the 2018 ESIF Annual Report to get highlights on the ESIF's greatest achievements from the year. In 2018, research at the ESIF adapted and aligned to address the challenges that are shaping the electric grid today and into the future—from new types of partnerships, to developments in autonomous energy systems research, to a greater focus on energy security and resilience.